Celine Dion belts out her classics -- and a few new future hits -- at Tuesday's secret concert in NYC. Photo: Paul Martinka

Tuesday night, Celine Dion made a triumphant return to her roots, performing an intimate concert at Edison Ballroom to promote her forthcoming album, “Loved Me Back to Life,” out Tuesday. The free performance was held exclusively for Celine’s fans who had recently listened to her station on Pandora. The result? An over-the-top enthusiastic crowd that gives the Directioners a run for their money.

Dion arrived at the back of the ballroom and made her way through the small crowd to the stage, dressed in head-to-toe white with a pop of gold bling. As the fans grabbed for her like she was the last cronut of the day, the grande dame of pop planted herself at the mike, just inches from the audience.

Though these types of events usually glaze over the hits, instead focusing on the unfamiliar new songs being promoted, Dion did just the opposite. It seems her 70 shows a year in Vegas have taught her what the people want.

After opening with her classic “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now,” she followed up with the ballad “The Power of Love.” At the end of the song, Dion threw her arms down in a “How you like me now?” kind of movement. It’s emblematic of the new Dion.

“It’s been six years since my last English album,” she said as she introduced the new music.

“We’ve been waiting!” interrupted a fan.

“Sorry. I had two babies, a French album and a world tour!” she snapped back.

Six years after her last English album, Dion has returned with a record that’s easily her edgiest — though, keep in mind, we are talking about Celine Dion, not Miley Cyrus. As she performed new tracks “Water and a Flame” and the Sia-penned “Loved Me Back to Life,” it became clear Dion is moving into new territory. She allows her voice to get a little more down and dirty, and the production is something you can easily hear an artist like Christina Aguilera using on the radio today. And if that doesn’t say enough, she’s also got a track with Ne-Yo.

But that’s not to say it’ll alienate the fan base. No, the crowd — let’s be honest, full of lots of moms — embraced the songs just as wholeheartedly as they did her hits. It’s not an exaggeration to say there were lots of tears in the room.

Though it seemed the night would end with no mention of a song with a certain very famous flute part, Dion closed out the hour set with her “Titanic” smash, “My Heart Will Go On,” which she began a cappella.

With Top 40-ready new material, it may not be long before she finds a new closer.